STEAM RAIL NEWS. Rocky Mountain Rail Society Nov./Dec. 2011

Transcription

1 STEAM RAIL NEWS Rocky Mountain Rail Society Nov./Dec Walter Kittler s Last Alberta Prairie Run On the 28 th of September I had the good fortune to be a fireman on 41 for Walter Kittler s last trip as conductor for Alberta Prairie Steam Tours, prior to his retirement. It was one of those outstanding days. The weather was beautiful and 41 worked like a thoroughbred. The train was sold out. Walter, as he always did, gave us his classic communication: Let s give her a pull. Magic. Since the 1940 s Walter Kittler has been part of a train crew, first with the CNR working the many branch lines in Southern Alberta, and later as a member of Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions. Walter has been around for many of the highlights at Alberta Prairie, including the early years when the company was making its start. I remember my early years working with Walter as a trainman. I met him in the mid-1990s at Alberta Prairie. He was conductor on my first cab ride on Locomotive 41, a run around at Big Valley. I remember Walter climbing off the engine, walking deliberately to the switch, grabbing his key from his pocket, unlocking the switch lock and throwing the switch. With a signal to the crew, the locomotive made the move to the main, he re-lined the switch, locked it and we were on our way. One important event occurred in April of 2004, when Alberta Prairie was hosting a special event for visitors from Great Britain. These folks wanted to see both 6060 and 41 working. I was the brakeman with Walter controlled all the moves of 41 s train, and then all the moves for 6060 as she pulled a freight up the siding at Warden which almost hadn t been possible, as the old girl had been in pieces only a week earlier, due to a problem with one of the superheaters. The fall of 2005 had been cool, and Walter liked to use the pot belly stove in the old wooden caboose. He always had a little coal buried underneath the blocks of wood and kindling in the wooden storage compartment next to the stove. We used to sit out in the caboose after lunch, the crew sometimes playing crib, but Walter liked to stretch out on the bunk and take a snooze before the return trip. April 25, 2004, 41 at Warden preparing for a run past. The train had been chartered by a group from Great Britain Walter was always a calm guy and willing to share his knowledge. I always liked his radio communications. For example, when we were ready to leave he would call the crew in the locomotive, saying something like, Okay, 41! Everyone s aboard. Let s give her a pull! or, Okay, That ll do. Set her up and I ll waddle-up to the cut. This call would indicate the train should stop, the air should be recharged in the system, and Walter would be walking up about three cars to where he would call for a three-point protection so that he could separate the cars. The three cars would be uncoupled and would remain at this spot while the rest of the train moved up the siding. Both strings of cars would then be tied down. The locomotive would be uncoupled, once the other cut of cars were spotted, and it would be put to bed. It is a tradition with Alberta Prairie to set off a fireworks display on the last steam run of the year, and 2011 was no exception. Walter had us spot up just south of Mile 57. What a great fireworks show. Passengers sure got their money s worth. When it was over Walter gave us the word to go ahead and proceed to Stettler. Once in town, we quickly got squared away unloading the passengers, then spotting up the train. Walter joined us in the cab for

2 Page 2 Walter Kittler (cont.) STEAM RAIL NEWS the last few moves, and as we were waiting he told us he remembered that in the old days the job was done when the locomotive was put to bed on the shop track. Walter then walked to the north switch and lined us for the main, and old 41 was signaled to go ahead. As we passed the station, cameras flashed--walter s friends and family. It is fitting that Walter would be working with a steamer for his last run. We stopped just past the south switch. Walter lined us in and gave us the signal to back up to spot 41. I remember shaking Walter s hand and wishing him well as Jim and I worked around the cab, shutting down 41. As quick as can be, Walter climbed off 41 dressed in his new orange coveralls, turned, and walked toward his family on the station platform. In a moment he was surrounded. I turned back to my duties and when I was done, Walter his friends and family were gone. I hope you all enjoy the photos and the story. I will try to include some of the older photos I have in my files. Walter doing what he does so well, meeting the public. September 28th 2011 All the best. Don Totten 2011 Red Deer Model Railroad and Hobby Show The Rocky Mountain Rail Society was well represented at the second annual Model Railroad and Hobby Show, held at Red Deer s Westerner Park in October 29 th and 30 th Over 1000 people enjoyed a large variety of railway layouts and other interesting models on display. Our booth was well received, with Ernie Beskowiney s 6060 model serving as the star attraction. Souvenir sales were brisk throughout the weekend. In fact, it was one of our most successful events of the year. Groot, and Richard Bottomley for all their efforts during the weekend. Kevin Quigley Many thanks go to Fun Times Hobby and Cycle in Red Deer for sponsoring and coordinating the show. Appreciation is also extended to Ernie Beskowiney, Rick Boittiaux, Rich Graydon, Mark McNair, Leo de Olds Model Train Show The RMRS will be attending the Olds Model Train Show in February Stay tuned for more details!

3 Nov./Dec RMRS Treasurer s Report Page 3 Rocky Mountain Rail Society got an early Christmas present in November as our Casino proceeds finally arrived. The total payout was $66,566.64, which is noticeably less than it has been in past years, but still slightly more than we were expecting. This money does a lot of work for us, being the main source of funding for the maintenance, repair, and storage of 6060 as well as covering the majority of our volunteer food, travel, and accommodation expenses. Please join me in saying a big thank you to John Pinter, our Casino chairman, who handles the significant task of organising and arranging these events, as well as the many volunteers who donated both the daytime and late-night hours needed to make the 2011 Casino a success. This fall also saw our first submission to the Alberta Heritage Resource Foundation against our matching grant for various 6060 maintenance projects. This grant pays out 50 cents for every dollar the society spends on eligible projects, a significant part of which is the "sweat equity" invested by our volunteers. Again, another big thank you to those investing their time and effort in these important projects. We were also somewhat surprised to find that we had a very strong year for souvenir sales at the railwaythemed events we regularly attend. These sales would not be possible without the efforts of those volunteers who organise the events, manage the inventory, and staff our displays. The souvenir proceeds are put towards many of our business and administration costs which are not always glamorous but still an essential part of our operation. Finally, I would like to thank all of our members for their support in 2011, and wish everyone the best this Christmas season. We look forward to working with you in 2012! Donations RMRS would like to thank Nick Teekman for his gracious donation to our society. Zac Brewer Merry Christmas and all the Best in Work Parties I can t believe it s the fall again and winter is at our doorstep. To prepare our equipment for the long winter sleep we had two work parties. One was on October 29 th, the other on November 12 th. Rick Boittiaux and I had a great day on the 29 th sorting the stay-bolts in the tool car. Whew!!! That job is now put to bed. We also worked on the speeder, our diesel 1652 and the caboose. All of our summer equipment, such as the trimmer generator and lawn mower were all winterized. There are some items of equipment that will need attention in the spring, such as the speeder which will need to have the motor mounts and the throttle looked at. Otherwise we are in good shape. We also had a look inside the former BC Rail box cars to see that all was secure in case the cars needed to be moved. The doors are a little stiff, so we should look at adding some lubricant to them in the spring. Weather permitting, we will plan another work party in March at Warden to address some of the maintenance with the oil heaters in the tool car and caboose. Have a good winter. Don Totten

4 Page 4 Sam (Sanford Young) Sliter Bill and John Dunn ( they live in Hinton) and I have a winter project going on in Jasper. We re rewiring the 6015 so that it will display it s class lights, number lights, headlights (dimmed) and a cherry yellow glow coming from the side pans of the firebox, just as though she has a coal fire in her firebox. Right now, this 1923 steam mountain type locomotive is shrouded in snow and it brings back many memories of winter railroading. So today I would like to share with you the memory of a very colorful locomotive engineer- Sam Sliter who worked in the Jasper Lucerne area from as early as at least 1919 until his uneventful last run in According to my records, Sam Sliter began his career with the Canadian Northern Pacific Railway about Sam was hired on as a locomotive engineer along with Larney Dahm and Stub McKenzie. They were all under the age of 21 when they were hired on and Sam had locomotive training from I.C.S. school in the U.S.A. Sam followed the construction westward of the Canadian Northern in its expansion from Winnipeg to Portage La Prairie, Dauphin, Saskatoon, North Battleford, Vegreville, Edmonton, Tollaston, Lucerne, Blue River, Kamloops, Boston Bar and Vancouver. He took up residence in Lucerne B.C. prior to 1919 with his wife Mary. They were later blessed with the arrival of their son, Vernon and daughter Rita. STEAM RAIL NEWS Sam was a very popular railroader, well respected by his fellow railroader s and a had a great community spirit. He was very fond of music and enjoyed the piano playing of Verne Speare at The Railroader s Club. Lucerne was in a spectacular location. It was at the east end of Witney Lake and close to Lake Yellowhead ( often called Lake Lucerne). Close by was Mt. Fitzwilliam and the Seven Sister s mountain. Circumstances led to the closure of the Canadian Northern terminal in Lucerne, so Sam and Mary and their children were forced to move with their fellow citizens to Jasper. The Grand Trunk Pacific R.R. (G.T.P.Rlwy) and the Canadian Northern Railroad had been amalgamated (along with several other railroads) into the government owned Canadian National Railways. This was a very difficult and upsetting time for the railroad families.they were uprooted and re-located.there was a shortage of adequate accommodations. It was snowy and very cold and there were many disputes as to seniority and the resulting layoffs and so on. Like so many others, Sam and Mary coped with the challenges and they built a fine home in the west end of Jasper. It was exactly the same as the new home built by Noble Findlay which stands to this day across from the Jasper arena. Sam was well up on the seniority list and was able to work the better assignments in Through Freight and Way Freight runs to Edson, McBride and Blue River. It was not very long before he was able to hold the preference work on passenger trains. That was the goal of every railroader in the running trades - to work an assignment in which you had regular hours and every night in bed. At the beginning of this railroad yarn, I said the snow and cold around the 6015 (an engine Sam had run) brought back memories of winter railroading and the very colorful men we had the honour of firing for. Sam Sliter was probably the most remarkable of all! A steam locomotive, in the winter time, was often shrouded in steam and it was a challenge to see ahead especially in a snow storm, fog, rain, sleet and extreme cold. It was amazing to see Sam, shirt open & hatless, leaning way out the window mile after mile - oblivious to the snow and cold. Indeed, he often would lean into the cab and shake the snow off is head into the sand hole of the firebox. One dark rainy night he was westbound on the passenger train west of Thunder River- in the vicinity of mile The curve was to the fireman s side so his view ahead was limited. However, Sam alertly spotted a man standing by the track holding a red rod in his hand and trying to light it. Sam only saw him for a second or two but he realized it may have been a brakeman trying to light a red fuse (MEANS DANGER-STOP AT ONCE). The fireman had not seen this man as his side of the cab was shrouded in steam. Sam immediately brought his passenger train to a stop. Up ahead, in the glow of his locomotive headlights (likely the 6058), was an eastbound freight train pulled by the It had derailed on the bridge over the Whitewater Creek at mile Sam s diligence had paid off in spades!! The poor brakeman, in trying to do his job, was very thankful for Sam s quick action.

5 Nov./Dec Sam Sliter (cont.) Sam was a great entertainer in the bunk house at Blue River. He was knowledgeable about the history of the railroad, the wildlife and like most engineersvery well posted on politics and the stock market. One evening, Sam chose to give a lecture, to all there, on the Wapiti of the area. However, his facts were somewhat misconstrued. A certain Jasper Engineer, who was notorious for being a know-it-all - chose to challenge Sam in his lecture. Sam would have none of this and said, Look here Mr. S.O.B., is there anything that you don t know everything about?. The know-it-all left the sitting room and Sam was able to continue his lecture-undisturbed. Sam was also very much into beautifying the Canadian National. He often came to work with a paint brush and red and sometimes blue paint. While the train was stopped, Sam delighted in painting the cab valve wheels with red paint. Also many of us packed tin boxes for our personal belongings and food etc. Sam pursued his quest by decorating these; he painted them with blue and red paint during the night, when the owners were slumbering in the bunk house. Sam Sliter gained notoriety with his Friendly Canada Goose which was recorded in Ripley s Believe it or Not. He actually went out on the running board of his locomotive and caught the goose as it was flying beside the White Flag on the smoke box. Please see the accompanying picture and the write-up by his son Vernon. Sam, Mary and family were well known and loved by many of us here in Jasper. Sam delighted in the community and would often be seen with Dr. O Hagan, strolling about town. Dr. O Hagan came here from Lucerne and was a legend - just like Sam. In 1930, Frank Darlow started up the Jasper Park Band and Sam was determined to play in the band, playing a Double B Flat Bass or a Sousaphone. One spring day the band was due to play in the town parade. Sam had been out on a work train and he asked Frank not to play a tune he had not practiced. Sam being Sam and Frank being Frank led to the inevitable. Frank called for the tune to be played (might have been Colonel Bogey ) just as the band was about to make the turn at the Pyramid Hotel. Sam Page 5 became very angry as he didn t want to do a poor job. So, as the band turned up Miette Avenue, Sam continued right on and marched into the pub at the Pyramid (band uniform and musical instrument included). This led to much hilarity in the bar in which Sam stayed for quite some time. I think he was joined by many of his band members later in the day! I mentioned earlier that his last runs were uneventful. On the day of his final run in 1953, virtually the whole town was there to witness this special event. Sam rounded the corner and came down the main on No.2, engine 6045 with Fireman George Jolitz. After all the hand shakes and fanfare, Vic Reilly took the engine to the shops and we all headed to Sam and Mary s house for a great celebration which went on for quite awhile. There were lots of stories, reminiscing and goodwill. The next day when it came time for Sam s supposedly vacated assignment to leave, SAM WENT TO WORK! You see he had one more day after his supposed retirement so he decided to make the trip to Blue River. The CN had to deadhead an engineer to Blue River to bring Sam s train back the following day. Sam, in the meantime, spent a day or two in Blue River - visiting with his many, many friends there. Mary and the family and his many friends in Jasper stood patiently by. I hope you have enjoyed this little story as much as I have in telling it. Sam Sliter was a fine man in the eyes of his wife, family, friends and co-workers, here and elsewhere. The sound of Flying Sam s whistle on a 6000 locomotive between here and Blue River will be forever with me. This has been another successful 6060 year - a tribute to the many volunteers who work so tirelessly for the Rocky Mountain Rail Society is full of promises and let s hope we can achieve our goals. To you all, a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year from the Home Family in Jasper, AB Harry, Edna, Lisa and Joel 29 Nov.11 (my Mom & Dad s 92 nd Anniversary)

6 Page 6 The Canada Goose by Vern Sliter STEAM RAIL NEWS On January 12, 1929, my father, Sam Sliter, was the Engineer on the Extra West. This was the way freight to Blue River, B.C., which performed all the line work between Jasper and Blue River. On this particular morning, my father had new white flags put on the engine, which meant that this particular train was an extra train. Sammy Fellows was his Fireman, Arthur Mainprize was the Conductor, and his Brakemen were Dan Bonner and Bob Casey. It was a cold clear morning when they arrived at Rainbow Station at the head of Moose Lake and when dad looked out the window, he noticed a Canada Goose fly across the lake and fly along side of the white flags. Dad told Sammy that he should go out and catch it. Sammy tried, but the goose just flew off across the lake. The goose then flew right back, and my dad went out on the running board and brought the goose in. When he arrived in Red Pass Junction, the B.C. Police took the attached picture. The crew then put the goose down, but it would not fly away, so they transported him to Blue River in the baggage car. He followed my dad wherever he went. Dad brought the goose back to Jasper the next and we put him down in the yard, but he still wouldn t fly away. He kind of became our welcoming wagon as he would come to us all whenever we arrived home. He was with us until June, at which time my dad made arrangements to take him into the Edmonton Zoo and while we were sad to see our goose friend go, we knew it was the best for him. This story of the Friendly Canada Goose was recorded in Believe it or Not, by Ripley.

7 Nov./Dec Bill s Notes Page 7 My wife Lil & I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and hope you and family enjoy this festive season to the fullest. To all our volunteers that have helped in 2011, please accept our thanks for the many hours. If you have not received one of our volunteer pins, please let me know and I will be pleased to arrange to give you one. Rocky Mountain Rail is blessed with the many volunteers who contribute so much. We can t thank you enough. To our board of directors, thank you for a job well done during We will soon start making plans for the operation of 6060 for the year If you have some expertise that you want to share with us, please let me know. We don t just need experienced railway people. We have many projects planned where we can use other skills, carpenters, electricians, upholsters, landscapers, painters and helpers for many projects. All members are invited to attend our board of directors meetings held the 2 nd Tuesday of every month. Call for meeting location. As always you can contact me any time day or night at billwill@telusplanet.net or Telephone (Direct) or Fax Souvenir Calendar Update Sales of this year s calendar have been going strong over the last few weeks, with over 80 copies sold to date. The RMRS also plans to set up mini souvenir booths at a couple of Calgary-area Christmas craft sales this year. We will be at the Acadia Recreation Complex on November 26 th and the Hillhurst/Sunnyside Community Center the evening of December 2 nd. We still have a few calendars left in stock, but our inventory levels are starting to decline. If you would like to purchase a calendar, please contact Kevin Quigley ( secretary@6060.org, phone: ) as soon as possible. RMRS Membership Renewal Just a reminder that it s membership renewal time again. You will find the 2012 membership form is enclosed with this newsletter. This year we are again pleased to offer the Family membership option. For only $38.00, an entire family of five can sign up as RMRS members. A membership card will be issued to each family member and one newsletter will be mailed per household. Many thanks to those members who have already renewed for Also, any new members who signed up in the last quarter of 2011 will automatically be renewed for Don t forget that a Rocky Mountain Rail Society Membership makes a great Christmas Gift!

8 PO Box , BPO Calgary, Alberta T2J 7C9 RMRS Board of Directors: President, W.E. (Bill) Williams Vice-President & Rolling stock Don Totten Treasurer, Zac Brewer Secretary & Souvenir Chairman Kevin Quigley Chief Mechanical Officer Harry Home Director, Assistant CMO Bob Leinweber Director, Webmaster Mark McNair Director, Volunteer Coordinator Leo de Groot Directors, Ron Switzer Larry Buchan Rick Boittiaux Casino Chairman: John Pinter Steam Rail News: Glenn & Tracy Astren Contact Kevin Quigley at or to purchase.